Apparatus for evacuating pressing elements



May 18 1937. A. F. HANNEY APPARATUS FOR EVACUATING PRESSING ELEMENTS Original. Fild Aug. 5, 1933 INVENTOR ANGUS F. HANNEY Patented May 18, 1937 APPARATUS FOR EVACUATING PRESSI NG ELEMENTS Angus F. Hanney, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machineryflompany,

Norwood, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application August 5, 1933, Serial No. 683,814. Divided and this application January 4, 1934, Serial No. 705,279

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for evacuating pressing elements such as are used in the pressing of garments and laundry work.

This application is a division of my copending application for Garment pressing machine, filed August 5, 1933, which resulted in the grant on July 7, 1936 of Letters Patent No. 2,046,780. One ofthe objects of my invention is to evacuate a pressing element by inducing a flow therethrough by the use of a stream of fluid exhausting with substantial velocity.

Another object of the invention is the provision of simple automatic means for causing evacuation of a pressing element at the close of a pressing operation.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a novel method of treating moisture expelled from workpieces during a pressing operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the accompanying description, together with the drawing, and the essential features are summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of a pressing machine somewhat diagrammatic in form which shows an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a View of the release cylinder and operating parts associated therewith; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary views along the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the pressing bed or buck along the line 66 of Fig. '7; while Fig. '7 is a partial sectional view of the buck on a reduced scale along the line 1-7 of Fig. 6.

I have chosen to illustrate my control mechanism as applied to a press of the type disclosed, described and claimed in the co-pending application of John P. Singiser, Ser. No.'683,322, filed August 2, 1933, which resulted in the grant on June 23, 1936 of Letters Patent No. 2,045,375, although it will be understood that the mechanism is applicable to any pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing elements.

A complete description of the construction and operation of the press here illustrated will be i found in the above mentioned application and only suflicient description will be given here to permit an understanding of the operation of the control mechanism. The press comprises a suitable frame l supporting two coacting pressing members, a head H and a bed or buck I2, the head being supported in fixed position and the bed being supported on a carriage l3 equipped with rollers IA which travel on rails l permitting r the buck to have a 'translatorymotion in a substantially horizontal direction from and into registering position'beneath the head. The bed is provided with a stem 16 extending downwardly in a bearing ll of the carriage which permits: a limited vertical movement of the bed with respect to its carriage. Translatory movement of the bed is provided by a fluid pressure operated translation motor comprising a cylinder l8 having a suitable piston l9 and a piston rod The piston rod is connected to the buck carriage by link 2|, cranks 22' and 23 pivoting about the shaft 24, and link 25 connected to'thecarriage. As viewed in Fig. 1, movement of the piston l9 to the right willmove the bed it into registering position'beneath the head. The return movement of the bed to its outer or open position is caused by spring 26 connected. by crank 21 to the shaft 24.

When the pressing members are in registration, the bed is raised substantially vertically from its carriage and is pressed against the head by a second fluid motor comprising a piston 28 in a cylinder 29 mounted on the frame beneath the head.-

This motor is hereinafter referred to as the reciprocation motor. The piston rod 30 contacts the stem it thus raising the bed.

' The control mechanism comprises, in general, inlet and outlet valves for the controlof the flow and exhaust of fluid pressure to and from the translation motor, and these valves are operated by a control member having an operating handle conveniently positioned for the operator. Normal movement of this control handle closes the outlet and opens the inlet valve admitting fluid pressure to the translation motorywhich causes the bed to move into registering position with the head. Suitable devices, actuated by the movement of the bed into registering position, cause movement of the control valves for the reciprocation motor, thus causing the press to close. The movementof the control valves for both motors in press-openingdirection is caused by release means operated by fluid pressure from the main supply line. The control valve for the release meansis actuated by a swinging guard depending before the head in a position to be struck by the operators hands if theyare resting upon the buck as it moves toward its pressing'position. In this case, the guard operates as an emergency release member, 'but in the regular operation of the press also, movement of the guard rearwardly is utilized to actuate the control valves to open move the bed to its outer position.

oscillatable control shaft 34 having a control handle 35. Normal movement of the control handle to position 35A (Fig. 3) closes valve 3| and opens valve 32 which admits fluid pressure from the main supply line through conduit 11 to cylinder 8 thus causing translatory movement of the bed into registration with the head. 36 is the exhaust valve and 31 the inlet valve for cylinder 29. They are operated through lever 36, link 39, bell crank 40, link 4|, bell crank 42, link 43 .and interlock arm 44 which carries a follower 45 which in turn presses against a cam 46 mounted on the carriage [3. A notch 41 Will be noted in the cam 46 and when the bed reaches registering position, the follower 45 moves into the notch 4! impelled by a spring 48 acting through bell crank 42 and its attached linkage so that the interlock lever moves in a clockwise direction. This moves bell crank 46 in a like direction and moves link 39 to the right, which closes the valve 36 and opens the inlet valve 31 admitting pressure from the main pressure supply conduit through conduit 96 to cylinder 29. Piston 28 rises and its rod 35 contacts stem l6 of the bed, causing reciprocatory movement of the bed toward the head.

For opening the press, power operated means is provided for reversing the position of valves 3| and 32 and also of valves 36 and 31. The means illustrated comprises a release cylinder 49 supplied with a suitable piston and rod 50 which in the releasing operation moves upwardly contacting an arm i pivoted at 52 to the frame and having an oppositely extending arm .53 rigid therewith. This construction is more clearly seen in Fig. 2, where the shaft 34 is shown provided with a flanged collar 54 adapted to be contacted by the arm 5| as it moves upwardly. The position of collar 54 when the control lever has been moved in the press closing position is shown in broken lines, Fig. 2 and the movement of the lever 5| upwardly returns the collar to the full line position, thus closing inlet valve 32 and opening outlet valve 3| and exhausting the fluid pressure from cylinder l8. Spring 26 is then effective to Referring again to Fig. 2, the end of lever 53 is loosely mounted to the upper portion of the rod assembly 4| in a lost motion connection in the form of a slot 55. When the rod 4| is elevated, by operation of the interlock arm 44 in clockwise direction as above described, the rod 4| moves upwardly without any effect on the position of lever 53, but pin 56 of the lever comes into approximate engagement with the lower end of slot 55. Thereafter, when fluid pressure moves lever 5| upwardly, lever 53 at the same time moves downwardly, moving the rod assembly 4| downwardly which causes closing of the inlet valve 31 and opening of the outlet valve 36, thus exhausting cylinder 29. The piston 28, rod 36 and bed l2 move downwardly due to the weight of the parts.

The supply of fluid pressure to release cylinder 49 is controlled by release valve 5'! which communicates with the main pressure supply line yond that point.

For cross or tandem operation of two presses,

2,o so,915

an extra air valve is provided on one press which is actuated simultaneously with the admission of pressure to the translation motor of that press and admits air to the release cylinder of a second press, thereby causing the second press to open so that it is ready for the operator by the time she has moved from one machine to the other.

The arrangement shown comprises a valve 62' mounted in line with valves 3| and 32 and adapted to be actuated by a cam 63 mounted on the shaft 34. The cam has a projecting portion 63' shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Ordinarily, this cam 63 is not moved sufficiently for projection 63' to actuate valve 62 when the control handle 35 is moved normally to actuate the press for individual operation. This is more clearly shown in Fig. 3 where 35A is the first or normal position of the control handle corresponding to individual press operation, to which position it is moved to actuate only cam 33 controlling the valves 3| and 32. The second or abnormal or tandem position 35B is the position to which the handle is moved to rotate cam 63 just sufiiciently to cause projection 63' to actuate valve 62. Valve 62 being open, admits fluid pressure from the main pressure supply through conduit 64, through valve 62 and conduit 65 which communicates with the release cylinder 49 of a second press. I have thus provided a very simple control for either individual press operation or tandem operation. The operator need learn but two positions of a single control handle.

The novel features of the control mechanism are claimed in my said copending application Serial No. 683,814, filed August 5, 1933, Letters Patent No. 2,046,780, granted July 7, 1936.

I have also provided a bed or buck which is arranged for automatic evacuation to cause a suction therein, which may be used for the exhaustion of moisture from the interior thereof. This bed or buck comprises in general a hollow member with a bottom sloping to a common drainage point, and having upstanding ribs extending longitudinally of the buck upon which lies a heavy wire fabric H for supporting the covering or padding of the buck. A pervlous cover is illustrated comprising a spring padding 8! having a perforated base plate 88 and surmounted by a cover cloth 89. The ribs have passages 12 therethrough adjacent the sloping bottom 13 which leads to a flexible discharge conduit 14 which is automatically connected for discharge of the moisture contents in the lower part of the bed upon completion of the pressing operation. Suction for this moisture exhausting operation and for causing a flow of air through the buck cover is provided by utilizing the exhaust from one of the fluid motors which moves the buck toward the head. To this end, the outlet conduit |5 from exhaust valve 3| of the translation motor is connected to an ejector arrangement 16 so that upon opening the outlet valve 3| to open the press, the fluid exhausting from cylinder l8 will pass through conduit 11, valve 3|, conduit 15, and ejector 16, causing a suction in conduit 18. This conduit communicates with a coupling member 19 mounted on the frame of the press in a position to coact with a similar member 86 onthe bed connected with the discharge conduit 14, thus causing the evacuation of the moisture from beneath the bed through the ejector 16. This moisture is thrown against a heated element 8| in a container 9| which evapcrates it so that it passes into the atmosphere through the open top of the container. Element Bi may be heated by steam supply and exhaust conduits '92 and-93.

The structure illustrated for the coupling members 79 and 80 is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The member 8:! has a-projection 82 mounted for limited horizontal movement in a guide 83. The member is spring-pressed toward member 19 by a spring 8 1. A ball-check valve 85 normally closes the outlet from conduit Hi. When the pressing members are in pressing position, a plunger 86 moves valve efi'from itsseat, thus es tabli'shing communication between conduits hi and T8.

This moisture exhausting mechanism will operate whether the moisture is substantially all vapor, or substantially all condensate, or a mixture of vapor and condensate. The buck illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 is a cold buck and will condense part or substantially all of the entering vapor depending on working conditions. The covering or padding of the buck is, of course, porous. Moisture from the work lying on the buck is converted into vapor by heat from the pressing head and passes into the interior of the hollow buck. There it is condensed and passes out through conduit M, coupling members 83 and 19, and conduit 18 drawn by the suction created by ejector I5, which in turn throws the condensate against heated element Bl, which evaporates it so that it passes into the atmosphere.

The operation of a single press is as follows;

The operator arranges the lay of the work on bed l2 and moves the control handle 35 to its first or normal position 35A. 7

Thereupon cam 33 closes valve 3! and opens valve 32 admitting fluid pressure from the main supply conduit through conduits 6d and 11 to cylinder it, thus moving piston l8 forwardly and, through the connecting linkage, causing bed i2 to move rearwardly into registering position beneath the head H. When the pressing members reach registering position, interlock arm 44 moves clockwise when follower moves into notch i! of cam 46 under the influence of spring 48. This interlock arm through connections 43, 42, 4|, 48 and 39 actuates lever 38 to close valve 35 and open valve 3?, thus admitting fluid pressure from the main supply conduit through conduit 9D to cylinder 28. Piston 28 and rod 30 are raised, contacting stem It and raising bed 12 into pressure engagement with head ll. Upon completion of the pressing operation, the operator swings guard 59 rearwardly which, through contact arm 58, opens valve 51, thus admitting fluid pressure from the main supply conduit through conduits 5i and to release cylinder 49. Release piston rod 56 raises lever 5! into contact with flanged collar 54, returning it to its original position, whereby cam 33 closes valve 32 and opens valve 3 l, thus exhausting cylinder [8 of the translation motor and permitting spring 26 to return the bed to its forward open position. Simultaneously with the actuation of lever 5! by the release piston rod, lever 53 through pin 55 moved link ll downward and, through bell crank 4!), link 39 and lever 38, caused valve 37 to close and valve 36 to open, thus exhausting the pressure from cylinder 29 of the reciprocation motor, whereupon the piston 28, piston rod 30 and bed l2 moved downwardly due to the Weight of the parts. If the operators hand or arm lies on the bed as it moves to registering relation with the head, it engages the guard and emergency release operation occurs in exactly the same manner as the normal release operation just described.

When fluid pressure was exhausted from cylinder i8 through theopening ofvalve-BI, the exhaust-fluid passed through conduit '15 and ejector 16, causing a suction in conduit 18, which through coupling members) and '30 which were then in c-losecontact caused a flow of air inwardly through the-buck cover andevacuation of moisture through discharge-conduit M, connected'with the interior of the hollow buck. What I claim is: 1

"1. In a press of the class described, thecombi- V relatively moving said members into and out of pressing engagement, means for drawing into said chamber vapor from work being pressed, 9

means for evaporating and disposing of condensate, and means for discharging condensate from said chamber into said evaporating means.

3. In a press of the class described, the combination of a fixed head, a bed movable into and out of registrationand into and out of pressure engagement therewith for a pressing operation, said bed having a chamber adaptedto receive moisture from ,work lying thereon, aheated receptacle open to the atmosphere, and means for automatically discharging the contents of said chamber into said receptacle once for each pressing operation.

4. In a press of the class described, a frame, a pair of coacting pressing elements one of which is movable into and out of registration and into and out of pressing engagement with the other, means for moving said movable member, said movable member having an unheated chamber adapted to receive moisture from work lying thereon, means on the frame adapted to receive moisture from said chamber, and means for transferring moisture from said chamber to said receiving means.

5. In a press of the class described, a frame, coacting pressing elements having relative substantially horizontal movement into and out of registration and relative vertical movement into and out of pressure engagement, means for causing said movements, 2. coupling member carried by one of said elements, said last named element having a fluid-pervious cover communicating with said coupling member, a second coupling member supported by the frame, means, for causing coaction between said coupling members when the elements move into registering position, and means for causing a flow of fluid through said members during said substantially vertical movement.

6. In a press of the class described, the combination of a fixed head, a bed movable into and out of registration therewith, said bed having a moisture-pervious cover and a drainage connection for collecting moisture from the cover, means normally closing said drainage connection, and

means actuated by movement of said bed into registration for opening said drainage connection.

7. The combination of claim 6, including fluid pressure actuated means for causing said bed movement, an ejector for creating a suction in said drainage connection, and means for exhausting fluid from said fluid pressure actuated means through said ejector after a pressing operation.

8. In a press of the class described, coacting pressing members, one of which is stationary and the other of which is movable toward it, supports for said pressing members, fluid power means for actuating the movable member, said movable member comprising a hollow buck provided with a fluid-pervious cover and a discharge conduit communicating therewith, coupling members carried by the pressing member supports and adapted to coact when the pressing members are in pressing relation, one of said coupling members being associated with the discharge conduit, and means for causing suction in the other coupling member by the exhaust from the power means.

9. In apress of the class described, the combination of coacting relatively movable pressing members, one of said members being hollow and having a fluid-pervious cover and a discharge conduit communicating therewith, a coupling member adjacent the outlet end of said conduit, a valve normally closing the outlet end of said conduit, a second coupling member adapted to coact with the first coupling member when the pressing members are in pressing relation, means for opening said valve when said coupling members are in coacting position, and means for causing suction in said second coupling member.

10. In a press of the class described, a carriage movable in a substantially horizontal direction, a hollow buck having a substantially vertical movement relative to said carriage, said buck having 2.

fluid-pervious cover, a coupling member supported by said carriage, a flexible conduit communicating with said cover and connecting said buck and coupling member, and a second coupling member adapted to coact with the first coupling member when the carriage is moved horizontally.

11. In a press of the class described, a frame,

coacting pressing elements having relative substantially horizontal movement into and out of registration and relative vertical movement into and out of pressure engagement, means for causing said movements, a coupling member carried by one of said elements, said last named element having a fluid-pervious cover communicating with said coupling member, a second coupling member supported by the frame, and means for causing a flow of fluid through said members While said members are in registration.

12. In a press of the class described, the combination of coacting pressing members supported by a frame, one of said members being movable in a rectilinear path toward and from the other, said movable member having a moisture-pervious cover and an unheated chamber adapted to receive moisture from said cover, means for moving said movable member along said path, and means for intermittently withdrawing moisture from said chamber.

13. In a press for ironing moist articles, the combination of a pressing member having a moisture pervious cover, means for drawing moisture from an article through said cover, means for receiving and condensing said withdrawn moisture, condensate evaporating means open to atmosphere, and means for discharging condensate from said receiving and condensing means into said evaporating means.

ANGUS F. HANNEY. 

